Corn-planter.



No. 814,182; PATENTED MAR. 6, 1906.

W. J. ANDERSON & J. W. HORNE Y. CORN PLANTBR.

APPLIQLTIOR FILED JURE 18. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W 17mm flwrsom Witnsses r nventors W b8 ,1. *P 1 I I 4 f Attorneys No. 814,182. PATBNTED MAR. 6, 1906,. W. J. ANDERSON 5: J. W. HORNBY. CORN PLANTER.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 18, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WAN-2' mmmmI-WIIE WZJZm JAr'nizs'oiv/ Witnesses fi zg' J Inventor UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. ANDERSON AND JAMES W. HORNEY, OF LODA, ILLINOIS.

CORN-PLANTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 6, 1906.

Application filed June 18, 1904. Serial No. 213,147.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM J. ANDER- son and JAMES W. HORNEY, citizens of the United States, residing at Loda, in the county of Iroquois and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Corn-Planter, of which the following is a s ecification.

This invention re ates to corn-planters, and especially to corn-planters of that type which are provided with a rotary seed plate or disk having perforations constituting seed cups or cells, each adapted to hold a single seed and to carry the same forward to the point of discharge.

The invention has s ecial reference to that class of rotary-disk enters in which means are provided for setting the seeds on edge instead of permitting them to lie flat in the seed cups or cells, this being considered the most certain way of regulating the seeding mechanism so that each cup or cell shall only contain a single seed.

In carrying the invention into ractical operation We avail ourselves of t e improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of arts, which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations, and modifications which come fairly within the scope of the invention may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the efficiency of the same.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the bottom plate or disk of the improved seed-planting device. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the rotary seed-disk. Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the rotary seed-disk mounted for rotation upon the bottom late. Fig. 4 is a top lan view of the top Pilate of the device. ig. 5 is a top plan view showing the top plate mounted operatively in position above the rotary seed-disk, the latter being supported upon the bottom plate. Fig. 6 is a sectional view, enlarged, taken on the line 6' 6 in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a sectional view, enlarged, taken on the line 7 7 in Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8 8 in Fig. 1.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated by similar characters of referonce.

This invention is applicable to various forms of rotary-disk secdplanters; but for purposes of illustration we lave preferred to show the invention applied to a planter adapted to distribute at each operation a charge consisting of two or more seeds, the construction being such that by alternate operations charges consisting of e ual or of different numbers of seeds may e deposited. This general construction has been shown and claimed in an application for Letters Patent filed by ourselves October 27, 1903, Serial No. 178,762, patented July 12, 1904, No. 764,544. The details of this construction, therefore, need not be particularly described in the present case.

In carrying out the invention a hopper 1 is employed, which may consist of a can or casing of any desired size, shape, and material. Usually a cylindrical sheet-metal can will be found advantageous for the urpose oi the invention. Securely mounted in the bottom of the can 1 is a bottom plate 2, which is circular in shape and which is provided on its 11%pcr side with a circular guide-plate 3, from W ch rises a concentrically-disposed boss 4.

The bottom plate is provided with a radial openin or slot 5, forming a seed-escape opening and which may communicate directly with the upper end of a conducting-tube, which latter, being no part of the invention, has been omitted from the drawings. An adjusting-slide 6, suitably mounted and operated, serves to regulate the size of the seedescape opening.

The bottom plate supports the seed-disk 7 which has a central opening 8 engaging the circular guide-plate 3 upon the bottom plate. In the example of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings the seed-plate or seed-disk is shown as being provided with four concentric series of openings constituting cells or seed-cups. The seed disk is provided with four concentric annular ribs in its 11 per side, (designated 9, 10, 11, and 12,) the ri 9 being the inner and the rib 12 being the outer one. The several ribs are provided with cut-away portions forming recesses 13, or perhaps, more properly, slots, since openings are out not only in the ribs or walls, out through the plate constituting the seed disk. The letter or the portions of the latter disposed adjacent to the recesses in the ribs are,

moreover, cut away, so as to form slots 14, which are disposed not only adjacent to the recesses 13, but which extend in rear of the latter, as will be clearly seen in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The rearward extensions of the slots 14 are omitted adjacent to the recesses or seed-cups formed in the outer rib 1.2, for the reason that in this rib two seed cups or cells are usually formed closely adjacent to each other, as wi 1 be seen in the drawings. The precise arrangement of seed-cups herein shown and described is not necessarily carried out; but it has been shown by preference, for the reason that owing to this particular arrangement the dropping of the seeds may be very accurately regulated, as shown and claimed more particularly in our Patent No. 764,544, to which reference has hereinbefore been made.

The top plate 15 is mounted upon the boss 4, whereby it is supported above the seeddisk in such a manner as to permit the latter to be freely rotated, the rotation of the latter being accomplished, for instance, by a. suitably-operated inion, as 16, meshing with teeth 17, former circumferentially upon the under side of the seed-disk, which is so supported as to make this arrangement afeasible and convenient one. The operation of the seed-disk by means of a pinion may be either continuous or intermittent, as may be desired. The top plate 15 in the present instance includes a center disk 17 and four concentric annular members 18, 19, 20, and 21, which said annular members have been shown as being connected by means of a web 22 and in addition thereto by means of cross-braces 23, secured to the several members by means of screws or bolts 24. These annular mem bers fit nicely between and adjacent to the ribs 9, 10, 11, and 12, the interspaces between which are thus occupied. A casing 25, supported by the annular members of the top plate, contains cut-oil fingers 26 and springactuated ejectors 27, which latter are disposed directly above the slide 6, which governs the size of the seed opening or passage 5. Said slide, it will be observed, is mounted to move radially from the center in an outward direction, thus enabling said slide to regulate the size of the seed-opening, or,in other words, to permit seeds to be dropped from one or more of the circumferentiallydisposed series of seed-cups, reckoning from the outer edge of the device and in an inward direction. The seed-cups have been so distributed that at each operation an equal number of seeds may be deposited or that by alternate operations char es of seed varying in size may be dropped; ut this feature of the device is not part of the subject-matter of the resent application.

The annular members 18, 19, and 20 of the top plate constitute partition-walls between the ribs 9, 10, and 11, and the outer annular member 21 forms or constitutes a wall adjacent to the outermost rib 9. These walls or partitions are formed upon their inner sides with concavities 28, extending over the greater portion of their length, said concavities begining at a short distance from the web 22 and terminating adjacent to the cut-off fingers 26 within the casing 25. The annular members 18, 19, and 20 are provided at the front ends of their convex portions with inclined planes 29, upon which the seed-corn may ride in an upward direction when the machine is in operation, the said annular members being, in front of this point, free from the inward extensions forming the concavities 28. At a corresponding point the bottom plate of the device is rovided with sockets 30, in which are seate upwardly-extending spring-actuated pawls 31, which normally are confined between the bottom plate and the side plate, but which when the recesses or openings 14 adjacent to the seedcups approach the inclined planes at the lower ends of the annular members will be forced upwardly against the under sides of said annular members, so as to form ways or guides, whereby the seed-corn is caused to slide upwardly upon said inclined planes, thus to some extent agitating the seeds and making it impossible for more than one seed to enter into the seed cu or cell 13, formed in the rib adjacent to t e opening 14 into which one of the pawls 31 is at the time projected.

The rear" ends of the annular members, meaning thereby the ends of said annular members which are dis osed adjacent to the cut-off fingers contained in the casin 25, and which fingers are spring-actuated an occupy the interspaces between the annular members, so as to prevent more than one seed from being carried by each on or cell to the point of discharge, are upward y inclined and terminate adjacent to the recesses in the easing 25, in which the cut-off fingers are mounted. A positive cut-off is thus formed, whereby any seeds which may be disposed to follow and be carried around with the cups or cells containing the individual seeds that are to be deposited at the next operation of the machine will be deflected, thus avoiding the crushing or injurin of seeds and at the same time constitutingagevice which is mechanicall T perfect as to the operation thereof.

l rom the foregoing descri tion, taken in connection with the drawings ereto annexed, the operation and advantages of our invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it a pertains. It is to be distinctly understood that no limitation is made as to the number of annular concentric series of seed-cu s and dropping devices employed. A sing e circumferential series of seed-cups, or, in l'act, a rotary element having but a single seed-cup, would be within the scope of the invention, since in the latter case the seed-disk might be rapidly rotated, and means might be rovided whereby the seeds might be retains until asu'flicient number be accumulated to constitute a charge or bill. By the rotation of the seed-disk the seed which is contained in the can or hopper 1 above the top plate 15 will be guided by the cavities upon the inner sides of the annular members in the direction of the ribs upon the seed-disk in which the recesses constituting the seed cups or cells are formed. At the beveled or inclined front ends 29 of the members 28 the seeds will enter into the seedcups, the spring-actuated pawls disposed at this point and entering the slots 14 extending rearwardly from the seed-cups serving to expel or displace seeds that are not required to enter into the seed-cups and also to tilt or set on edge the seeds entering into the seed-cups, which latter are comparatively narrow and of a general shape and size to accommodate a single seed in the position indicated. It is obvious that in case a seed should fail to en ter into the cell at the point indicated a seed will be sure to enter into each cell durin the subsequent rotation of the seed-disk an before it reaches the point oi discharge. In case an additional seed should he carried around with the seed lodged in any one of the seed-cups it will be unfailingly dislodged by the u wardly-inclincd rear end of one of the annu ar members which constitute the partitions between the ribs having seed-cups, so that the latter under no circumstances will carrv more than one seed each to the point of discharge.

The importance of being able to regulate the discharge of seeds from a planter with absolute certainty and uniformity is now so generally understood as to require no further comment. By this invention the regulation of the deposit of the seeds may be accomplished in such a manner that any predetermined number of seeds may be deposited at each operation of the device with practically unfailing certainty.

As seen clearly in Fig. l of the drawings, the=base-plate 2 of the device is provided with a plurality of perforations P, which are disposedin concentric series and out of alinement with the seedcells in the superposed seed-disk. These perforations are for the purpose of enabling any grit or foreign substances which may by an chance pass between the baseplate 2 an the seeddisk to gradually work out in order that the perfect operation of the machine may not be ohstructed thereby.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A dropping mechanism for corn-planters comprising concentrically-arranged seedplates formed with seed-cells in their adja cent edges, and means for rotating said plates.

2. The combination with a movable disk having seed-cells and slots adjacent to said cells, of seed-tilting means disposed below said disk.

3. The combination with a movable disk having seed-cells and slots adjacent to said cells, of spring-actuated seed-tilting means disposed below said disk.

4. In an edge-drop seedplanter, a rotary seed-disk, a concentric rib upon said disk, a seed-cell formed in said rib and extending through the disk, and a slot formed in the disk adjacent to and extending rearwardly from the seedcell adjacent to the rib in which the latter is formed.

5. In a seed-planter, a rotary seed-disk having concentric ribs on its upper face, seed-cells formed in the exterior faces of said ribs and extending through the disk, slots in the latter, adjacent to and extending rearwardly from the seedcells, and means for engaging said slots to tilt the seeds edgcwise into the seed-cells.

6. In a seed-planter of the class described, a bottom plate, a seed-disk mounted for rotation on said plate, seed-cells in said disk, slots in the latter, extending adjacent to and rcarwardly from the seed-cups, and springactuated pawls in the bottom plate adapted to en age said recesses to tilt seeds edgewisc into t is cup or cells.

7. In a seed-planter of the class described, a bottom plate, a seed-disk mounted for rotation upon said bottom plate and having a plurality of concentric ribs, seed-cells formed in the outer edges of said ribs and extending throu h the disk, slots in said disk adjacent to an extending rearwardly from the seedcups, and spring-actuated pawls mounted in the baseplate in registry with the slotted inte'rspaces between the ribs upon the seeddisk.

8. In a seed-planter of the class described, a seed-disk mounted for rotation and provided with concentric ribs having seed-cells formed therein and a top plate composed of annular members supported adjacent to the ribs of the seed-disk and having sides sloping in the direction of the seed-cells.

9. In a planter of the class described, a seed-disk mounted for rotation and having a plurality of ribs, seed-cells formed in said ribs and disk, slots in said disk adjacent to and extending rearwardly from the seedcups, means, below the seed-disk, for engaging the slots and tilting the seeds at the omt where the cells are fed and a top plate mcluding a plurality of annular members supported above the seed-disk, said annular members fitting in the interspacesbetween the ribs and having concave sides sloping in the direction of the seed-cells.

10. In a seed-planter of the class described. a bottom plate having a slide, a seed-disk mounted for rotation upon said bottom plate and having concentrically-disposed ribs, recesses constituting seed-cells formed in said ribs, a disk and slots in the latter adjacent to and extending rearwardly from the seedeells, a top plate comprising a plurality of annular members having concave inner sides slopin in the direction of theseed-cells and provided at their front ends with inclined planes, and pawls mounted in the bottom plate in registry with the slots in the seeddisk adjacent to the seed-cells.

11. In a seedlanter of the class described, a bottom late raving a seed-opening and a slide regu. ating said opening, a seed-disk mounted for rotation upon said bottom plate and having ribs, seed-cells formed in said ribs and disk, and slots adjacent to and extending rearwardly from said seedcells, a top plate including a plurality of annular members engaging the interspaces between the ribs of the seed-disk and supported above the latter, said annular members having inclined planes at their front and rear ends and intermediate concave sides sloping in the direction of the seed cups, spring-actuated cut-off fingers disposed adjacent to the in- 1 12. In an edge-drop seed-planter, a seedreceptacle, a seed-disk mounted for rotation and having seed-cells and slots adjacent to said cells, an annular member havin a concave side slo ing in the direction of tlie seedcups, an inc ined plane at the receiving end of the annular member, a spring-actuated pawl disposed to guide the seeds to said inclined plane, and an inclined plane at the terminal end of the annular member, serving to guide seeds not contained in the seed-cups past the cut-off fingers near the discl'iarge.

13. In a seed-planter, the combination with a base-plate, of a seed-disk mounted for rotation upon said base-plate, the latter being provided with a plurality of perforations out of alinement with the seed-cells in the seed-disk.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto afiixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM J. ANDERSON. JAMES W. HORNEY.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM PETERS, JonN VVooDARn. 

